Starting today, you'll need to wear a face mask when you enter enclosed public spaces.
It's already mandatory in many parts of the province, and now it is also in effect in the North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit’s region. The local health unit covers over 120,000 residents within an area consisting of most of Nipissing District, and all of Parry Sound District.
Owners/operators of enclosed public spaces and transportation must have a face-covering policy that is put into effect using their best efforts. This includes posting signs and promoting the use of face coverings to protect others from COVID-19 spread to anybody who enters the premises.
This means indoor spaces of businesses, organizations, and services accessed by the public, including public transportation. Face coverings should also be worn in other spaces, indoor or outdoor, where physical distancing is challenging or not possible.
Enforcement is up to the local business, organization, or service, but importantly there are exceptions and no proof of exemption is required by the person not wearing a mask, although a business, organization, or service has the right to deny entry to their premises to customers without an exemption.
You can get more information here.
The Health Unit is encouraging the community to be ‘COVID kind’ and understand that not everyone can wear a face-covering safely and may need accommodation and understanding.
